Penalties for Driving Without Insurance in Wyoming
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If you are caught driving without insurance in Wyoming, you can be fined up to $1,500, be jailed for up to six months and have your driver's license and vehicle registration suspended.
You'll also pay more for car insurance, which you'll have to buy to get your license back.
Penalties for driving uninsured in Wyoming
If you're caught driving without car insurance in Wyoming, you may be fined, put in jail or both. However, unless you have other legal issues or you caused a severe crash, you probably won't be jailed for your first offense. You'll also likely have your license suspended until you can show proof of insurance.
Type of penalty | First offense | Second and subsequent offenses |
|---|---|---|
| Fine | No less than $500 and no more than $1,500 | |
| Jail time | Up to six months | |
| Driving privileges | License suspension until proof of insurance is provided | License suspension until proof of insurance is provided; surrender registration and license plates |
| Reinstatement fee | $50 | $50 |
| Length of SR-22 | Three years | Three years |
Police officers in Wyoming, and most places, can check for your insurance after an accident, when you're pulled over or at a random checkpoint.
If you own a car in Wyoming, you need to have a car insurance policy with at least the state's minimum limits to drive legally.
- $25,000 bodily injury liability per person
- $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident
- $20,000 property damage liability
You also have to be able to show proof of liability coverage at all times. This means you should keep an ID card in your car or have a digital version on your phone.
Fines
The fine for driving without insurance in Wyoming is between $500 and $1,500.
Without car insurance, you will also have to pay for the damage and injuries that you cause out of your own pocket. Medical bills and car repair bills can add up fast, and the costs can have a big impact on your finances. You could even be sued.
Jail time
Driving without insurance is a misdemeanor in Wyoming, and you might serve up to six months in jail if you're caught. The court will decide whether you have to pay a fine, go to jail or both.
Suspensions: License and registration
When you're caught driving without auto insurance in Wyoming, you'll get a citation. You have seven days from that date to show proof of insurance, also called "proof of financial responsibility." If you don't show proof of a policy in those seven days, you'll get a notice that your license will be suspended. The start of the suspension is usually 30 days after you get the notice.
You might be able to get a probationary license, which lets you drive to and from work, while your regular license is suspended. You have to send a written request to the Department of Transportation, along with $15 for the department to review your record. If you're approved, you'll be sent more forms to complete, and you'll also need to send $55 for your probationary license to be issued.
For your first offense of driving without insurance, the only suspension you'll have is your license. But your registration and plates could also be suspended if you're caught driving without insurance a second time.
Higher car insurance rates
Driving without insurance in Wyoming is illegal. Once you start trying to get insurance, you'll likely pay higher rates compared to if you'd had a policy all along.
The average cost of car insurance in Wyoming is $120 per month for a full coverage policy. If you are buying a policy after you've been cited for driving without insurance, you'll almost always pay more.
Disputing your conviction
If you don't think your license should be suspended, you can request a hearing to dispute it. You have to do this within 20 days of getting your notice of suspension. To request a hearing, you must fill out a form and send a $25 fee to the Wyoming Department of Transportation. If you're approved, you'll be notified of a hearing date to argue your license suspension.
Waived penalties
Depending on how your hearing goes, you might have your license suspension shortened, your jail time reduced or your fees lowered. The judge might even partly or completely dismiss your conviction.
A hearing also gives you a chance to show that you had insurance when you were pulled over, especially if you weren't able to show proof within seven days after you were cited. If you can prove that your insurance policy was active when you were first pulled over, your conviction might be dismissed.
Reapplying for auto insurance in Wyoming
Whether you're reapplying for insurance after your policy lapsed or you're buying car insurance for the first time, each company you get quotes from will review your driving record. If you have a history of driving without insurance, even if you didn't have any accidents or tickets, you'll pay more for car insurance than you would have if you had a continuous policy.
If your driving record is bad enough that you can't find insurance anywhere, check with the Wyoming Automobile Insurance Plan, which is a last-resort option when no other car insurance company will sell you a policy.
Reinstating your driving privileges in Wyoming
To reinstate your license, you'll need to get insurance with an SR-22 form. An SR-22 is a form that proves that you have insurance that meets or exceeds the state's minimum limits. Your insurance company fills it out and sends it to the Wyoming Department of Transportation.
Once the Department of Transportation receives the SR-22, you'll need to pay a $50 fee to reinstate your license.
You're required to keep your SR-22 on file for at least three years. Your insurance company will send an updated form to the Department of Transportation every time your policy renews. If your insurance lapses or you cancel it without getting another policy with an SR-22, the state will be notified and your license will likely be suspended again.
Depending on your specific case, you may have other fees too. You may be asked to pay your county's registration fee and the $30 state registration fee if your sentence includes a registration suspension. Once you have shown proof of insurance and paid all the fees and other costs determined by the court, you should be able to reinstate your license.
Sources
Information on penalties for driving without insurance in Wyoming is from the Wyoming Department of Transportation and the Wyoming state statutes.
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